If you want to capture input from microphone connected to your Linux computer, there is a simple way to do it. But prior to recording, you probably want to adjust the input volume of your microphone for optimal quality recording. With low input volume, your microphone may not pick up your voice properly, while too high an input volume may introduce a lot of background noise in the recording.

If you are using Ubuntu Desktop, you can adjust microphone input volume by going to "Settings" -> "Sound" -> Input.

Without any argument, arecord will record microphone input to wav format with sample rate 8000 Hz, unsigned 8 bit depth, and single mono channel. arecord will continue to capture a stream of microphone input until it's terminated by Ctrl+C.

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Dan Nanni is the founder and also a regular contributor of Xmodulo.com. He is a Linux/FOSS enthusiast who loves to get his hands dirty with his Linux box. He likes to procrastinate when he is supposed to be busy and productive. When he is otherwise free, he likes to watch movies and shop for the coolest gadgets.